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Rokakku Dominion
Once known as the seat of the Hanamoto Dynasty and the subsequent capital of the Fire Nations' Daimyo, the Rokakku Dominion is a current leading Dominion of the Empire of Akino and the seat of one of the most powerful of the seven Daimyo of current times. During the Warring Clans era, the Rokakku Clan, for which the Dominion is now named, were a lesser clan in the area, with a handful of smaller clans and Samurai Retainers to oversee their land while working in close conjunction with the then Hanamoto Clan. By the time that the Hanamoto would rise to the position of Daimyo of the Fire Country the Rokakku Clan were loyal retainers of the Dynasty. For many years after they would support their Daimyo until they began to recognize the failure and weakness of the Hanamoto following the Great War. Quietly the Rokakku Clan worked behind the scenes to set themselves up to claim power if the chance presented itself, and with the installation of the Jinryu Dynasty in the Hanamoto's place the Rokakku were quick to proclaim their allegiance with the more powerful dynasty. Once more they served as loyal retainers and gained the support of their fellow retainers of the Jinryu Dynasty for one day they were sure they would need it to finally rise. The reformation of the Fire Union into the Empire presented its chance as it became evident to all that the Jinryu had been plotting to overthrow the Fire Union. With this realization the far more deft political beast of the Rokakku quickly proclaimed their allegiance for the Empress and denounced their old Daimyo. With this proclamation and the support of their surrounding retainers as well as newly appointed retainers to take the place of the traitorous ones that had sided with the Jinryu Dynasty, the Rokakku saw themselves elevated to Daimyo of the now Rokakku Dominion, the area of land located between Southwest Corner of the Senju Clan, the South Eastern edge of the Yakimara Clan and the far left arm of the Cho Clan with their capital being the old capital of the Fire Union, Keishi. Capital The Capital city of the Rokakku Dominion is none other than the historical seat of power of the Fire Daimyo, the city of Keishi. An unflinching icon in history that has persisted even after the Imperial Reform, Keishi is among the great cities of the Empire, standing next to the likes of Konohagakure and Magnhild. Keishi itself is a double edged sword in its representation of the Taika Culture, a perfect example of the power and wealth that the Taika of the land enjoyed of old and still for the most part enjoy today as well as being an ever standing reminder of the past Fire Daimyo's almost refusal to better the rest of their realm in favor of focusing on their direct holdings. Large spanning avenues in the upper district allow for easy movement through the city, with a standardized flow of traffic helping to increase the efficiency of the large thoroughfares themselves with private carts and merchants limited to the outer edge of the spans to travel with and stop at frequently at ease, and officials and their caravans granted access to the center of the massive spans to move unhindered on their business. The architecture of Keishi is for the most part Taika, with the exception of the sizable Asiske Cho compound located within its boundaries. The cityscape of Keishi is dominated by tall towers, places of worship, theaters, symphony halls and imposing governmental buildings of exquisite design. Every facet of high-class life can be found in the upper class of Keishi, and anything one may desire can be found in the darker alleys of the upper class district, for a price. Well kept gardens, shrubbery, and trees adorn the streets and round out the grandeur of the city in the upper class districts. The middle class districts are characterized as what could be considered the "second ring" of buildings within Keishi. Smaller roads and buildings placed closer together and even touching in some places are the common sight of the middle class districts. The average workers and lesser officials live in this area and much of the business and commercial heart of Keishi is found here. As the upper class districts of Keishi are a supreme showing of Taika power and cultural wealth, the middle class district is a common showing of the true way of life for the Taika. Working class families follow most of the common traditions of the Taika culture and with a staunch population of believers in The Way of Fire it is not uncommon for entire city blocks to be closed on the day of worship, for large festivals to fill the entirety of the city during holidays and for smaller shrines to pop up regularly in alleys and on the sides of roads to pay homage to their God. The lower class districts of Keishi are a common area for avoidance among the populace that does not call it home and a well known area to not stray into by travelers to the city. Closely constructed buildings in poor condition litter the land of the lower district and catch fire often due to their inferior construction and design. Gangs and crime syndicates run the lower class districts with an iron fist and for the most part answer to the Rokakku Dynasty with little to fear as it is said that in exchange for a cut of their monthly profits the Daimyo himself allows the syndicates and gangs to continue to operate freely in the lower class districts, although this claim is unsubstantiated and vehemently denied by city officials and the Daimyo himself. A festering pit of filth and the worst humanity has to offer, the lower class districts consist of the poorest of Keishi's inhabitants and are rife with a booming illegal brothel area, fight clubs, taverns, and other questionable establishments. Samurai Retainers and Districts No single Daimyo can rule over their land alone. As such they all possess Samurai Retainers. Samurai Retainers are an amalgamation of roles all put into one. Trusted advisers of the Daimyo, generals of the Daimyo's armies, intellectual learners and theologians. The Samurai Retainers occupy a noble niche of the Taika culture and seem to do it all while still remaining subservient to a Daimyo that grants them the power and ability to dabble in all sorts of affairs and practices. A Samurai Retainer is always appointed to their position by their Daimyo (although in practice many Daimyo continue to appoint Samurai Retainers from a trusted family rather than new Samurai), granted the privilege of ruling over land (known as Districts) and their people in exchange for their loyalty to their Daimyo. Notable and Current Samurai Retainers of the Rokakku Dominion: * Hemahe Rujii, Samurai Retainer of the city of Keishi, First Lord General of the Rokakku Dynasties Armies * Yasuhise Hiodori, Samurai Retainer of the Ise District (Western Rokakku Lands) * Yasuhare Joichi, Samurai Retainer of the Fuso District (Southern Coastal Lands) Geography The geography of the Rokakku Dominion consists of a combination of what can be expected of the surrounding lands. Smaller scale rivers and flood plains dot the landscape with hills to break the monotony as if randomly thrown onto the land by God himself, and the coast of Yosuke Bay dominates the Southern reach of the Dominion. To the West of the Dominion in the Ise District the rivers grow into larger and more fearsome beasts as one nears the River Province. These rivers flood seasonally, providing mineral and nutrient rich soil to the flood plains surrounding them, which has made the Western half of the Rokakku Dominion into a fertile area for the growing of rice. Rice paddies dominate the area and farming villages are dotted among the Western Lands. In the Southern District of Fuso the coastline of the Yosuke Bay gives life to many coastal villages and towns dedicated to fishing, shipbuilding, and trade. A long history on the coast has created many prominent villages with stories of legendary fishermen catching monster of the sea, renowned ships captains, and explorers of the land. Commonly these coastal villages engage in small scale trade between the River Province, the Cho Clan, and the Wakumi to their South. Above all of this they are common destinations for ships arriving from the Southern Ocean or the Western lands and as such tend to have small niche markets for travelers selling trinkets and travel wares. The Populace Much of the people of the Rokakku Dominion are uneducated, or barely educated enough to read and write simple problems. Although with the recent reform of the Empire and the rise of the Rokakku Clan to power this illiteracy has begun to see change as the Rokakku have not been idle rulers like the past Daimyo that sat in the seat of power of Keishi. Instead the Rokakku have been slowly funneling resources and coin into the countryside, increasing the infrastructure of the land, building public service centers such as libraries and schools, and generally increasing the wealth of their dominion by actively spending to do so. Much like the Natsui Dominion to the Northeast of them, the Rokakku Dominion has seen a growth in the knowledge on their close neighbor the Cho Clan. Through both warfare, trade, and the constant interaction of their peoples many within the Eastern part of the Dominion and especially those that live along the Southern Coast are known to speak decent Chonobi for a Taika, although much like a Chonobi speaking Taika, it is obvious it is not their first language. Unlike the Tainted Taika however, these groups have done little in the way of adopting parts of Chonobi Culture and have instead stuck only to learning their language for ease of interaction in present day. Keishi and the Northern region of the Dominion remain largely unlearned in the Chonobi language like much of the rest of the Taika world, although the current Daimyo sees benefit in spreading the elusive language and has recently enacted reforms to begin teaching the language to people within the bordering zones as a test to then roll out the plan to the Dominion as a whole. Category:Taika Category:Clan